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Pissing on expectations is something the Melvins have gotten pretty good at. But Nude With Boots is perhaps the group’s most surprising record yet. After expanding their ranks to a quartet by absorbing the post-metal duo Big Business and proceeding to demolish intestinal tracts worldwide with their new, double-drummer lineup, the Melvins have released an album that actually comes across as kinda weak. Not “weak” as in “lame,” but “weak” as in “lacking strength.”

As one of the few heavy rock groups who can get their fans to tolerate hour-long noise-blasts and experimental electronics, it remains to be seen if those same fans can swallow the bland, classic-rock urges that manifest themselves on Nude. A few cuts – “Dog Island,” “The Savage Hippy” – find the Melvins going for the jugular, but the majority of this disc is surprisingly uninspired and tame. Wielding two exceptional drummers should result in an overwhelming percussive attack, but the straightforward, four-on-the-floor dreck of “The Stupid Creep” and “Nude With Boots” would be unacceptably bland even from the White Stripes. Combining that with the reedy, downmixed guitar work of Buzz Osborne and the most threatening band on the planet has suddenly become impotent. Which is quite unexpected indeed.

Standout Tracks: “Dog Island,” “The Savage Hippy” JASON FERGUSON